When You've Tried Everything

When You’ve Tried Everything Ecclesiastes 2 September 26, 2021 The Big Idea: A major part of wisdom is watching and learning from the choices other people make. Solomon was not wise in this way – he seemed determined to test every theory of what would give meaning to life. If we choose, we can look and avoid going down roads that are ultimately dead-ends. Only in a relationship with Jesus will we find forgiveness for our foolish sins and an adequate reason for life. What We Need to Know in Order to Make Sense of Ecclesiastes: ü ü ü Remember that Ecclesiastes asks more questions and raises more dilemmas than it offers answers. We must go to the rest of The Book to find many of the answers we long for. Remember that is more of a journal of one man’s search than a roadmap of how to get to purpose for your life. Read properly, Ecclesiastes will send you on a quest for understanding of the meaning of your life. Ecclesiastes 2 (ESV) 2 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. 17 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 18 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind 24 Good Roads That Can Lead to Dead Ends: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Pleasure – “sensory stimulation” – a celebration (vv. 1-2) Laughter (v. 2) The Finer Things of Life – not drunkenness (v. 3) Building an Empire (vv. 4-8) Sex (v. 8b) Quest for greater knowledge, wisdom, and skill (v. 20) Spiritual Truths for Life: 1. Pleasures are terrible as goals and wonderful when enjoyed as gifts from the Lord. [v. 24 – “from the hand of God”] 2. The Christian ought not ever despise the good gifts that come from the hand of the Lord. [James 1:17] 3. Though you may not be in love with your job and may eat a lot of very basic foods, the Lord gives the Christian the capacity for joy in those things. 4. Don’t confuse God’s judgment on our sin as the inevitable final outcome of life “under the sun.” The Lord’s desire is to not only redeem you, but your marriage, family, and work. [Genesis 3] 5. The most generous Gift ever given was God’s Son. In knowing Jesus, we are delivered from our endless search and find the meaning of life. [Titus 3:3-7]